I find Brenda and give her a stern scolding. “How did you keep this from me?” I whine. “You know I hate surprises.”
“Yeah, but this was a good one. He’s a keeper,” she states.
“I hope so,” I reply, my voice barely audible.
“He called me a couple of weeks ago. He put this together quick.” Then it dawned on me. The texting.
Suspicious, I ask, “Bren, were you texting Chase earlier today?”
“Why?” she smiles. Oh, boy. I know that look.
“I felt like he was stalling. We went back to his apartment for something he said he needed for work, but I got the feeling that wasn’t why we went back.”
“We were waiting for your mom to get here. He sent a car for her, but it got stuck in traffic.”
“That explains it,” I say.
“Look who else is here,” she says as a distraction tactic. Any time she wants to avoid a conversation, that’s what she does.
She brings me over to some friends I haven’t seen in a while. As our conversations continue, I look over to see Chase on his phone. He is with his friends and his brother. He looks up and sees me watching him. He gives me a smile; I smile back and continue with my conversation.
I eventually wander toward the grill, and I’m handed a plate with bite sized grilled chicken and grilled zucchini and squash. Yummy. I pick up a fork and start to nibble at it as I walk around. Once I’m finished, I go over to the bar and ask for a Sauvignon Blanc. I’ve just taken a sip when I spot Chase’s father approaching me.
“Hello, Olivia.”
“Hello, Mr. Remington,” I greet politely.
“Very nice place you have here.”
“Thank you. I owe it all to your son,” I admit. “I didn’t want to move to the city, but he convinced me. I’m glad he did.”
“Yes, I’m glad too,” he says with a smile. “He’s in good spirits these days. It seems you make him very happy.” His comment causes me to blush. I take a sip of my wine. Suddenly, I feel a presence behind me.
“Dad, are you monopolizing Olivia’s time?” Chase asks playfully as he slides up next to me. He places his arm around the small of my back.
“I would never do such a thing,” Mr. Remington looks at me and winks. “She’s all yours,” he says and walks back toward Tiffani.
“Hello, beautiful,” Chase murmurs as he gazes down at me. “Having fun?”
“It’s wonderful. Thank you for everything.”
“Did you get something to eat?”
“Yes, I had some chicken. It was delicious.”
“Good.” He pauses. “I had a chance to talk to your mother.” The hairs on the back of my neck stand up. Crap, what did she say to him?
“Oh? What did she say?”
“Not much.” He pauses again. “You’re right, though, she does like Evan.” Oh no, she didn’t.
“What did she say?” My words are harsher than I intended them to be.
“Just how good you guys were together, and that she hopes I’m just as good to you.”
“She had blinders on when it came to Evan,” I inform him.
“I hope so.”
“She never witnessed the fights we had. He was beyond possessive and controlling.”
“Really? Someone had control over you? I find that very hard to believe.” I’m not quite sure whether he’s joking or not.
“I was young and didn’t know any better,” I say resigned.
“Well, you have me now.” He leans down and kisses the top of my head. It makes me happy for him to say that he’s mine.
It’s getting late and people start to trickle out as they call it a night. The wait staff finishes cleaning up and are out the door by eleven. Right around midnight, my work friends say their goodbyes. Brenda and my mom remain. My mom drank way more than she usually does, and I’m not comfortable with her going home so late. Brenda is too drunk to go anywhere as well. I set up the sofa bed for Brenda and help my mom into the spare bedroom. Once I get them both settled, it’s just Chase and me.
“Are you staying?” I ask.
“I think you’ll have enough to deal with in the morning,” he chuckles. I’m not laughing.
“Fine,” I murmur disappointed. He sweeps me into a hug, nuzzling my hair.
“I’ll see you tomorrow. I’ll have nothing to do but spend time with you.” He leans down and kisses me tenderly, lingering just long enough to regret his decision to leave.
“I’ll take my mom out to breakfast in the morning. Do you want to come?”
“If you want me to, but you should spend some alone time with her. She misses you.”
“Okay. I’ll call you in the morning.” He releases me and heads out the front door.
I take both my mom and Brenda out for breakfast down on the pier. South Street Seaport isn’t far from my apartment, and it’s a gorgeous day. The only issue is working through my mom’s hangover. I give her two Motrin before our walk in hopes they’ll take effect by the time we get to breakfast.
I take them to a cute restaurant called Meade’s. It has a bottomless brunch, which includes mimosas. We take a seat inside since my mom complains that it’s hot out.
We sit and drink. And eat. And drink. It’s been a long time since the three of us have sat down together and actually talked about everything and nothing. It’s a fantastic morning.
Back at my apartment, my mom gets her things together. There is a car waiting for her outside to take her home, courtesy of Chase. Brenda leaves to be at work by six. I walk my mom out to the car to find Chase standing next to it. She gives me a quick kiss. Chase opens the door for her, and she’s on her way home. Chase saunters over to me and pulls me into his arms. “Good morning, beautiful.”
“It’s afternoon now,” I tease. He rolls his eyes at me. I narrow mine, but he knows I’m playing.
“How was your family breakfast?”
“Quite pleasant, actually. It’s been a while since we all spent time like that together.” He kisses the top of my head.
“Are you ready to spend some quality time with me?” he asks.
“How can I resist?”
It’s been a crazy week already, and it’s only Wednesday. I have been on location at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge every day and not getting home until after dark. Chase has a new property his firm has been working on acquiring, and he’s been really busy. I still can’t believe how sweet he was last weekend, getting everyone together the way he did. I’m also glad we spent some quality time together on Sunday. All day Sunday.
I decide Wednesday evening to surprise Chase at the office with a romantic lunch on Thursday afternoon. He’s been so busy with work, and I want to take his mind off things for a little while. I haven’t seen him all week, and what conversations we’ve had were very brief. It’s almost like he’s not himself.
I’ve been working in Queens all week, so I am closer to home than normal. I take a trip to the store and pick up cold cuts and a semolina loaf, as well as some cold salads. Once home, I assemble the sandwiches. I have them made in advance, so that I can stop home and not worry about leaving them in a cooler in the car.
I stop for lunch around noon. It takes me fifteen minutes to get from my site, back to my apartment, and to Chase’s office. I’ve never surprised him at his office before. I’ve always called him before I showed up, or he would call me. I’m hoping he’s here and not in a meeting somewhere. He told me once he leaves his office door open when he’s in, so I’ll know if he’s there or not right away.
I stroll over to the elevator with my bag of goodies and hit the ‘Up’ button. Once on his floor, I walk past his secretary. She gives me a wave as I walk past. His door is slightly ajar, just enough so I can peek in. Chase is sitting at his desk talking on the phone.
“I can’t talk about this now.” He is forceful. There’s a brief pause as he listens. “I know what I said, but everything has changed. I can’t do it.” His voice is full of regret. “I don’t want to do
it, not now.” He bangs the phone down as he hangs up.
I don’t know whether to walk in or run screaming. His conversation could be work related. I don’t know why I’m jumping to conclusions anyway. I peek in further. Chase has his head cradled in his hands and lets out a deep sigh. He looks tired, defeated almost. He sees me and smiles a small, tight smile. Standing, he strides over toward me, pulling me into a tight embrace.
“Are you okay?” I ask.
“I am now that you’re here,” he replies. “But what are you doing here?” His voice registers his surprise.
“I was in the neighborhood and thought I’d stop by and say hi,” I murmur into his chest. He smells really good.
“I’m glad you did. You made my day.” He looks stressed. The lines around his eyes are tight, and his jaw is clenched. I reach up and run my fingers through his hair. He closes his eyes and sighs. Something is making him anxious.
“Work making you crazy?” I ask.
He gives me a brief enigmatic smile. “Something like that.” He answers a bit too quickly. He’s acting really strange.
“I thought you might want to eat lunch. I made sandwiches.”
“I can’t. I have too much work to do.” He kisses the top of my head to soften the blow and walks back over to his desk.
“Okay, I’ll see you later then?”
“Yeah, later.” He smiles, but it feels forced. What is up with him?
I wander out of the building to my Jeep and head back to the site. I decide to eat my well prepared lunch on the drive back. Chase was acting so strange; I wonder whether it had anything to do with that phone call I overheard. He’s been acting bizarre all week. Maybe I’m imagining things. It was weird, though. I swear he looked guilty about something. He’s acting the same way Evan was the week before I caught him with Brandi, and I don’t like it. It’s giving me a bad feeling.
I come home from work mentally exhausted. I’ve been running through the one sided conversation I overheard Chase having earlier this afternoon over and over in my head. I have no idea who he was talking to. I take a quick shower, throw on a pair of sweats, and flop down on the couch. Having a place all to myself is amazing. I don’t have to worry about who is or isn’t home. Once again, I am so glad Chase talked me into getting a place in Manhattan.
I am settled in for the night when there is a knock at the door. I open it to find Chase holding a gorgeous bouquet of wildflowers. He looks contrite. “Hello, beautiful.”
“Hi, yourself.” I move to my left to let him pass.
“My behavior this afternoon warrants an explanation,” he says. “An apology, if you will.”
“An apology for what?” I head toward the kitchen to look for a vase.
“For being rude and dismissing you this afternoon. I needed to focus on a contract, and you were a distraction. I wouldn’t have minded, of course, but it was bad timing.”
“You don’t have to apologize. I stopped by unannounced. Next time I’ll call first.” I open the cabinets, not remembering which one of the many the vase is in. Opening the last cabinet, I find the vase on the top shelf. I don’t remember putting it up there. Chase reaches over my head and takes it down. I fill it with water and arrange the bouquet, placing the vase in the center of the kitchen island.
“No, you don’t have to do that,” he says, standing behind me nuzzling my hair. “I like that you popped in to see me. It’s one of the many benefits of working so close to home.” He spins me around so I’m facing him. “Are you hungry?” A wide smile plays on his lips.
“A little,” I admit. “I was going to order something in.”
“We could do that. There’s a great place that delivers from Little Italy.
“Okay, sounds yummy.” Chase pulls out his cell phone and scrolls down his contact list, then hits ‘Send’. “Hi, I’d like to place an order for delivery.” After a brief pause, he turns to me. “What do you want?”
“I don’t care, whatever.”
“Yes, hi. Can I get a small cold antipasto, one order of chicken cacciatore, and a steak pizzaola cooked medium. Please bill it to Chase Remington.” He gives them the address and hangs up.
“We have forty five minutes before they get here,” he murmurs seductively. “What should we do while we wait?”
Wrapping my arms around his neck, I say, “I have a few ideas.”
I make my way down the hall knowing that Chase is waiting for me. I turn the corner and arrive at his office door. It’s closed. His door is never closed. Maybe he left the office looking for me since I’m so late. I try the door, and it’s unlocked. I open the door and find Chase with a blonde woman. She is lying naked and sprawled halfway across his desk. They are sweaty and breathless. His shirt is unbuttoned, his chest glistening. He is thrusting hard and fast, the blonde girl moaning with pleasure. He looks up at me, still inside her, still thrusting. “This isn’t what it looks like . . .”
I jolt awake in a cold sweat, my heart pounding. Tears are streaming down my face. What the hell was that? Why am I having nightmares about Chase and a mystery blonde woman? He hasn’t done anything for me to think he’s having sex with another woman. Things have been weird, yes. But cheating? I wonder if seeing Evan a few weeks ago could be fueling my insecurities. I look over at the clock. It’s just after four o’clock in the morning. I still have two hours before I need to be up for work. I get up to get a drink of water and try to calm my nerves. I’m not sure if I can go back to sleep.
My alarm wakes me up at precisely six ten. I stagger to the bathroom and take a hot shower. The warm water is soothing and helps to wake me up. It took me almost an hour to get back to sleep last night, and I’m a little foggy. The image of Chase with the mystery blonde still haunts me. I shake my head and try to get the vivid picture out of my mind.
On my drive to work, my cell phone rings, interrupting one of my favorite songs. My phone is hooked up wirelessly to my stereo, and the ring projects through my speakers. Chase decided I needed to join the twenty first century and had it installed. I answer on the second ring.
“Hello.”
“Good morning, beautiful,” a cheerful voice booms through the Jeep.
“You’re in a good mood this morning,” I greet. I can almost hear his smile.
“Yes, I am, aren’t I?”
“What’s up?” I ask.
“My dad is having a family dinner this evening, and I would like you to accompany me.” Oh. I’ve never been to his father’s North Shore mansion. Crap, what am I going to wear?
“Um . . . okay. What time?”
“I’ll walk over to your place around six. That should give you plenty of time to get ready, since it takes you forever.” He sounds jovial this morning. He knows I hate primping, and it takes me less time to get ready than he does.
“Okay. I’ll make sure not to get too dirty,” I quip. I’m working in the office today, so that won’t be a hard task.
“Okay, I’ll see you later.” And he’s gone. What the hell am I going to wear to dinner? I’ll have to really dig through my closet to find something appropriate.
I get home from work and take a quick shower. Wrapped in a towel, I wander into my huge walk in closet and thumb through my dresses. After pulling out a few and not liking them, I decide on a plain black dress. It’s not too short, not too long, and perfect for a family dinner.
I dry off and attempt to do something with my hair. I decide to leave it down and douse it with plenty of mousse to keep it curly and not frizzy. By the time I’m dressed and ready, there is a knock at the door. He’s always punctual, if not early.
I open the door, and there stands Chase, impeccably dressed. He looks fantastic. I still can’t believe he’s mine. He is dressed business casual with a white button down shirt and a pair of designer jeans. Yummy.
“Hello, beautiful,” he purrs as he enters my apartment. “You look fantastic as usual.” He greets me with a passionate kiss, our lips caressing each other, our tongues meeting
and probing.
My breathing quickens as my libido wakes up.
With my face still in his hands, he looks down at me breathless. “If we don’t stop now, we’ll never leave.”
I just stand there panting. I don’t want to go. I want to stay here with him! I give him my best sexy lets-stay-here look. “Later,” he breathes, placing a gentle kiss on my forehead. “Are you ready?”
“Yes,” I whisper, still trying to catch my breath.
“After you,” he motions toward the door.
The drive to his father’s house is relatively short. Lattingtown is in Western Nassau, which is close to the city. We listen to the sweet sound of Christina Perry, her harmonious voice leaving a peaceful serenity over us. The lyrics to Arms almost mirror the way I feel about life and Chase. I sit back and relax as he makes his way down the long and winding roads.
Chase pulls down a double-gated driveway that looks more like a private road. At the end is a gorgeous mansion. The property seems to go on for miles. The driveway loops in a semi-circle in front of the house with a huge fountain in the center. Chase pulls in front of the house and stops the car. The driveway is so wide, there is still plenty of room for another car or two to go around.
At first glance, the house appears to be a traditional Georgian-style mansion with French architecture. The house is anything but traditional. It has been remodeled and given all of the modern amenities. Chase gets out and comes around to my side to open the door. Reaching in, he extends his hand to help me out. Once out of the car, he leads me up a massive set of marble stairs that lead to the double front door.
He opens the door and leads me through a monstrous foyer with colossal columns and a white marble floor. Off to the side is a sprawling curved marble staircase that flows into the foyer. We walk through the foyer into a large living room with dark plush couches and chairs on an antique rug. Next to the living area is a large formal dining room set for six. Fine china and crystal stemware sit atop a huge mahogany table. Looking past the dining room, I see the entrance to a massive kitchen the size of a small house.
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